1 tablet daily with food for 5 months. Consult a health care practitioner for use beyond 5 months. Take a few hours before or after taking other medications, health care products, or natural health products or as directed by a health care practitioner.

RESEARCH

Androgenic alopecia (AGA), or “male pattern baldness”, is a leading cause of hair loss, and can have a significant effect on self-esteem and confidence. An estimated 50–80% of all men are affected by AGA at some point in life (8).

AGA is associated with changes in the hair follicles related to higher levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a testosterone metabolite created through the activity of 5-alpha-reductase, a key enzyme in hormone metabolism. DHT causes hair follicles to shrink, and results in a longer “resting” telogen phase and shorter “growth” anagen phase, which leads to thinning hair.

Ultimate Hair Growth Formula contains soy isoflavones, including genistein, which appear to inhibit the activity of 5-alpha-reductase and lower levels of DHT (2). Taiwanese men who consume higher amounts of soy have been found to have a lower incidence of AGA compared to men who eat less or no soy (5).

Isoflavones and capsaicin have also been shown to increase the production of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in hair follicles, which promotes hair growth (3). In one study, 48 male volunteers with alopecia were assessed for new hair growth and plasma levels of IGF-I after taking either a placebo or a capsaicin (6 mg) and isoflavone (75 mg) supplement for 5 months. The results showed that the 31 men taking the supplement, but not those taking the placebo, had significant increases in IGF-I from baseline. Promotion of hair growth was also significantly higher (64.5%) at 5 months in those receiving the supplement compared to the placebo (11.8%) (3).

Capsaicin has also been found to increase the expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), an enzyme that helps open small blood vessels, promoting healthy circulation (7). By supporting vascular function in the scalp, capsaicin may have indirect benefits for healthy hair growth (4). Capsaicin also promotes the removal of cholesterol and the activity of brown fat, which raises the metabolic rate. It has even been linked to decreased expression of pro-inflammatory proteins, which may help guard against inflammation-related damage to hair follicles (7).

Men with AGA are significantly more likely than men without AGA to develop metabolic syndrome (51% vs 28%) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (36% vs 6.8%), which suggests a shared underlying mechanism related to hormonal health and metabolism (1).

Zinc and biotin are essential nutrients for protein metabolism, healthy hair growth, and hormone health. Biotin helps promote the growth of strong, thick, healthy looking hair and can help reverse the loss of hair and hair colour that may result from a biotin deficiency. Biotin is also used to address brittle nails and can help in some dry skin conditions as it supports the production of fatty acids essential for skin health (10).

Zinc is essential for the activity of numerous enzymes involved in hormone balance, and non-competitively inhibits 5-alpha-reductase activity, decreasing the conversion of testosterone to DHT (6).

Silicon and L-methionine are necessary building blocks for strong, healthy hair, with methionine also playing a role in maintaining hair pigmentation (9).